Book sculptor flies into Charlotte Square

PAPER BIRD SCULPTURES FREE TO FLY AT THE EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL BOOK FESTIVAL

A delivery of 30 paper birdcages from the anonymous Edinburgh Book Sculptor surprised the Edinburgh International Book Festival Staff yesterday.  Tipped off by a series of tweets, crowds gathered in the Book Festival Book Shop in Charlotte Square at 2.30pm yesterday when a series of mysterious blue bags were carried in.  Much to the delight of visitors and staff alike, the bags revealed a series of bird cages containing paper birds with the instructions to set them free.  Each bird had a handwritten label providing different instructions as to where to set it free – ranging from somewhere far away, to a writer of beautiful things.

A Book Festival spokesperson said:- “The sculptures are wonderful things and we are thrilled that so many of our visitors and customers of all ages were able to take these beautiful birds, to enjoy them and set them free around Scotland and hopefully further afield.”

A heron, an egret and a crow to celebrate Iain Banks’ The Crow Road were specifically gifted to the Book Festival and these will remain on show to the public until the end of the Festival on Monday 26 August in the Signing Tent in Charlotte Square Gardens.